Skip to content
Energy — Climate-change — Finance — Renewable-energy — Science — Industry

Vessels, Weighing Under 300 Kilograms in Weight

Henkel Corporation CEO, Carsten Knobel, accustomed to large scales, finds it natural to declare a 'significant achievement in Germany' while ceremoniously breaking ground on a jointly planned energy center with municipal utilities, on the Henkel Campus in Holthausen. He then picked up the shovel...

,   and  Administrator
3 min read
Executives at Düsseldorf-based Henkel, led by CEO Carsten Knobel (160 international locations), are...
Executives at Düsseldorf-based Henkel, led by CEO Carsten Knobel (160 international locations), are no strangers to big projects. Thus, the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony for the jointly-developed energy center with the local utility company on Henkel's campus in Holthausen was hailed as a 'significant milestone for Germany' by Knobel, who then picked up a shovel...

Vessels, Weighing Under 300 Kilograms in Weight

Laid-Back Lowdown on Henkel's Waste Heat Recovery Project

Henkel's waste heat recovery facility project, initiated through a climate protection agreement with the municipal utilities back in September 2022, is slated to wrap up by the end of 2024. Once completed, this energy-saving marvel will channel industrial heat waste from Henkel into the local district heating network, warming parts of Düsseldorf's southern quarters (see the box below).

By embracing combined heat and power generation, municipal utilities aim to slash their natural gas consumption, cutting the city's annual CO2 emissions by a whopping 6,500 tonnes, as announced by the North Rhine-Westphalia Minister of Economics, Mona Neubaur, at her shovel-wielding ceremony. She emphasized that meeting the challenges of the green energy transition requires not only climate-friendly methods but also secure and budget-friendly solutions, adding that industrial waste heat can greatly help NRW to meet its climate targets.

The municipal utilities energy whiz, Julien Mounier, shared similar thoughts during his ceremonial soil-turning moment, expressing their ambition to expand and decarbonize Düsseldorf's district heating system. Mounier stressed that the city's energy transition is essentially a heat transition, and the project underway serves as a blueprint demonstrating the mutual reinforcement between climate protection and economic growth.

REMINDER: Don't miss the breakdown of the project's benefits, timeline, and potential waste heat sources further down the page!

The construction work on the 700 square meter energy center is already underway, with the municipal utilities spending €25 million on the new installation and infrastructure. Various funding and federal funds are also pitching in to help finance the project. A crucial component of utilizing industrial waste heat involves the construction of a new chimney for Henkel's power plant, as well as investigating other potential waste heat sources on the site.

The What's, Whys, and Hows of Waste Heat Recovery

The Power of Waste Heat Recovery

The benefits of waste heat recovery facilities include:

  1. Improved Energy Efficiency: These systems can significantly cut energy consumption by turning excess heat into a useful resource.
  2. Eco-friendly Impact: By reducing energy needs, waste heat recovery helps lessen greenhouse gas emissions and fosters a more eco-conscious industrial landscape.
  3. Regulatory Compliance: Implementing waste heat recovery can help companies comply with environmental regulations and lessen their carbon footprint.

Countdown to Completion

The timeline for constructing a waste heat recovery facility is influenced by factors such as:

  • Project Scale and Complexity
  • Regulatory Approvals
  • Technological Factors

On average, such projects can range from months to years, depending on size and complexity.

Additional Waste Heat Sources

Apart from Henkel, various industries can tap into waste heat:

  1. Industrial Processes (e.g., chemical manufacturing, metalworking, cement production)
  2. Power Generation (especially fossil fuel-based power plants)
  3. Data Centers
  4. Refineries and Oil Production

In summary, Henkel's waste heat recovery project is just the ticket for sustainability, energy efficiency, and environmental friendliness. The construction process's timeline can be impacted by myriad factors, and waste heat recovery is a valuable resource across several industries. Keep on reading to learn more about its benefits, timelines, and potential sources!

  1. The waste heat recovery facility project, underway at Henkel, is part of a wider push towards renewable energy in the industry, aligned with climate-change mitigation efforts in environmental science.
  2. By channeling industrial waste heat into the local district heating network, the project will contribute significantly to the climate-friendly goals of the city, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by thousands of tonnes each year.
  3. To make the waste heat recovery project economically viable, the municipal utilities are investing €25 million and seeking additional funding from federal sources.
  4. Beyond Henkel, various industries can capitalize on waste heat recovery, including power generation, data centers, refineries, and chemical manufacturing, thereby contributing to improved energy efficiency, a more eco-friendly environment, and better regulatory compliance.

Read also:

    Related

    Latest